434 
DR. E. FRANKLAND ON A NEW SERIES OF 
methyl, hydride of methyl, and methylene are expressed, the value obtained for the 
last gas is invariably a small negative quantity. The volumes of methyl and hydride 
of methyl are readily found by the two following equations, in which the volume of 
combustible gas is represented by A, the contraction produced by explosion with e.x- 
cess of oxygen by B, and the volumes of methyl and hydride of methyl respectively, 
by X and y, the contraction produced by the explosion of methyl with excess of 
oxygen being 2 5 times its own volume, and that produced by the explosion of 
hydride of methyl twice its own volume : — 
y=A, 
^x-\-2y=B. 
The values of x and y may therefore be thus expressed ; — 
= — 4A, 
y = 5A— 2B. 
According to analysis No. II., 10*88 vols. of combustible gas produced a contrac- 
tion, on explosion with oxygen, equal to 24*49 vols. ; and in analysis No. III., 11*23 
vols. of combustible gas produced a contraction, on explosion, equal to 25*28 vols. 
Hence, by the application of the foregoing equations, the per-centage composition of 
the gaseous mixture may be expressed as follows : — 
II. 
III. 
Mean. 
Methyl 
. 50*18 
50*22 
50*20 
Hydride of Methyl . . 
49*82 
49*78 
49*80 
100*00 
100*00 
100*00 
This result is confirmed by the action of alcohol in analysis No. I., and also by the 
determination of the specific gravity of the mixed gases, which agrees very closely 
with that deduced from the above numbers, as is seen from the following com- 
parison : — 
Methyl 50*20x 1*0365 = 52*0323 
Hydride of Methyl . , . 49*80 x •5528 = 27‘5294 
10000 
Specific gravity found by experiment . 
79*5617 
100 
= *795617 
= *79598 
The origin of the hydride of methyl in the above gaseous mixture is readily per- 
ceived, when the volatility of zinemethylium and the method of collecting the gas are 
taken into consideration; on opening the decomposition-tube beneath water, a copious 
effervescence was observed wherever the evolved gas came in contact with water ; and 
as this effervescence was accompanied by the forniation of a flocculent precipitate of 
oxide of zinc, it could only be caused by the presence of the vapour of zinemethylium, 
which, on coming in contact with water, would be instantaneously decomposed into 
oxide of zinc and hydride of methyl. 
I have not yet endeavoured to procure the methyl free from admixture with hydride 
